Mariya V. Khodakovskaya, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Dr. Mariya V. Khodakovskaya has been a faculty member at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock since 2008, where she serves as Professor of Plant Biology and Director of the Applied Science Graduate Program. She is internationally recognized for her pioneering research at the intersection of plant biology, nanotechnology, and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Khodakovskaya's early groundbreaking work demonstrated that carbon-based nanomaterials can regulate seed germination, plant growth, and stress responses, opening new directions in the emerging field of plant nanotechnology. Her discoveries have been highlighted by Nature Nanotechnology and The Economist for their scientific significance and potential impact on agriculture. Her research program focuses on developing innovative and sustainable strategies to improve crop productivity, environmental stress tolerance, and agricultural resilience through the integration of nanotechnology, molecular biology, genetic engineering, and multi-omics approaches. An important component of her work is elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to nanomaterials through comprehensive transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses. More recently, Dr. Khodakovskaya's research has expanded to the development and application of biodegradable and plant-derived nanomaterials, including cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), zein nanoparticles, and other sustainable nanopolymers, for agricultural and biotechnology applications. Her laboratory investigates the use of these environmentally friendly nanomaterials for biomolecule delivery, genome editing, crop improvement, and sustainable food production systems.
Dr. Khodakovskaya leads highly interdisciplinary and collaborative research programs that bring together expertise in plant sciences, nanotechnology, materials science, engineering, and biotechnology. Her work emphasizes sustainability and the development of innovative solutions to address global challenges in food security, environmental stewardship, urban agriculture, and space agriculture. Her research has been supported by numerous federal and industrial agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF-EPSCoR), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA-EPSCoR, the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority (ASTA), the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium, and Syngenta Crop Protection AG.
Dr. Khodakovskaya is the author of multiple interdisciplinary research articles, patent applications, and book chapters. She has also founded a new spin-off company “Advanced Plant Technologies, LLC” to commercialize her research products.